US66933A - Andkew cakson - Google Patents

Description

iritrh titne areni ffirr.A

A'VNDREW oARsoN, oF MEMPHIs, TENNEssEE. Letters Patent' No. 66,933, daterl July 16', 1867.

IMPROVED AUTOMATIC LIFE-.PRESERVING BOAT.

'ro ALLWHOM IT'MAY CONGERN;

'Be it known that I, ANDREW CARsoN, of Memphis, in the county of Shelby, and State of Tennessee, have. invented a new and useful Improvement in Automatic Life-Preservers; and I'do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exaet description of the some, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which-.- I

Figure -1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a portion of a vessel showing the operation of my invention.

Figurc 2 is a vertical transversc section of the same.

Figure 3 exhibits a sunken steamboat, with cabins, &c., detached and floating.

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the latch by which the removable parts are secured.

My invention relates to the construction of'vessels', with cabins, &c.', built separate and detachable, so that when from any cause the vessel sinks, the cabins, 87o., may be detached' and continue to float With the passengers and valuable property; and it consists in devices adaptedand designed to cause said det'achment of theV cabins, boats, Sic., to be automatic when the water enters the hull or lower part of the vessel.

That others may understand the construction and operation Aof my invention, I will particularly describe it.

As vessels are commonly built there is no part designed to be detached in case of -accidents which may result in the loss of the vessel itself. The beats which are commonlycarricd for use in such emergencies are usually lashed fast to the guard, and can only be liberated by cutting the lashings, and the articles known 'as life-preservers when supplied in sufiicient quantities are onlyinstrumental in preservinglife. My invention is in the construction of the vessel with `'such portions of the upper works as may be built separate, and only attached to the hull or body of the vessel itself by iastenings, which shall become automatically detached upon the occurrence of an accident which will cause the vessel to siuk. Those portions of the upper works may be the upper cabins, oiiices, &(2.; in which are contained the passengers, .their baggage,'and the valuable papers and property in charge of the officers of the boat. The life-beats carried upon the guards of steamers may also be secured by the same means and become detachcd at the same time This invention'is particularly applicable to steamboats plying upon'inland Waters, as upon the Mississippi and its tributaries, 4where thousands of lives .have been lost and millions of dollars in money and valuable property sacrificed because of no similar provision having been made to guard against the dangers of a sinking vessel. In constructing the cabins, ofiices, -&c., for use in the Way proposed, their doors shouldbe made hollow or in such a manner as to serve as reliable floats able to susta-n the ca'bins and their contents.. These floats may be coustructed in any'of the various methods well understood by artisans skilled in the art. They should be fitted to the framework of the boat, but only attached by latches of some kind which may be automatically withdrawn.v Ifdeemed advantageous the cabins may be constructed in several sections, so that when detached they ma v float independently of each other. v

I will now describe an eflicient device for carrying my invention into practical operation: Inthe hold, or beneath the Iguard, or in any convenient 'portion of the vessel which is below the cabins to be detached, I place a fioat, A, located within an enclosure, B, which will prevent the access of any obstructing matter whatever. This enclosure must be open at its bottom so as t permit free access of the water when the vessel is sinking, so that the said float will certainly be raised up when the water enters the vessel. Projecting above the top of the float A is' the post C, and pivoted to the-top of the post C are arms, D, as many as may bo required. At the ends of said 'arms D are placed sliding bolts, H, or latches of some other suitablc construction which hold firmly in place the detachable cabins E F, boats' G G, &c. When water enters the hold of the vessel, or reaches that portion Where the fioats are located, they are raised up, and the elevation of the arms D causes the bolts or other-fastenings to be withdrawn, as clearly shown in the figures, leaving the cabins, free to rise andfloat clear of the wreck when the water reaches their floors. Itis evident that the ingress of water when a vessel is sinkingfimay be caused to operate devices in many diiferent ways, the applied force being due to the gravita- .tion of the water, and this may be exerted beneath a float to raise the sameI upon the top of a piston to dcpress fait, or in any direction whatever, the result to be obtained being the withdrawal of latches or fastenings of any sort which may be employed to secure the cabins, &c., to the framework of the vessel. It may sometimes happen that rit will be advisable to detach the life-beats or other portions which are secured in the mannerabove set fortb, where there is no ingress of water to raise'the float, For this purpose I attach lever or 'other device by Which the latches may be fivthdrawn by hand or the application of power other than that of Wateviz, manual power, steam power, Ste., directed by the will of the commander. I have shown in fig. 2 a simple lever applied so that the fioat itself may be raised-Withinl its enclosnre and the i atches withdrawn, but the same may be aocomplished in many different ways. A suitable looking device is alsoshown, by which When the lever has been depressed it may be so retained, and the latches continue to be withdrawn as longas desired. The necessity fox` such withdrawal of the latches may arise whenthe boat is on fire and the boats alone ca n be detached.

Having described my i-nvention, What I claim as new, and'desire to seeure by. Letters Patent, is'- Constructing vessels With cabins,- &(1., construcerl separate from the hull or framework of the vessel, and mane detachable by devices operated automatically by the ingress of Water into the body of the vessel, substantially as specified.

In comblnation With the float A, the arms D, and latches H, or thein equivalent, fox: the purpose set forth.

ANDREW CARSON.

Witnesses:

R. D. O. SMITH, Cnns. H. PooLE.

Images